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Tag Archive: report

A Levy For Faster Broadband

A Levy For Faster Broadband

Yesterday saw the publication of the Digital Britain report, and one of its more interesting ideas was a way to finance an upgrade of the infrastructure to give everyone faster broadband – a tax.

In this case it will be a small month levy – around 50p, or 75 cents – on everyone with a landline phone.

Report author Lord Carter said:

"It is a contribution which we are asking people to make – it’s six pounds a year – offset, as we make very clear in the report, by the likely continued reduction in headline prices because of the competitive market we have in this country."

It’s For You…Over Half The World’s Population Now Use Mobile Phones

It

Considering that it’s barely 25 years since the first mobile phone call, the growth of the cellular phone has been spectacular. If they seem ubiquitous, it’s probably because they are, a fact dramatically highlighted by a new UN report from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The report reveals that 4.1 billion people around the world – half the global population – now have mobile phone subscriptions. That’s a sharp rise from the one billion reported in 2002, and represents about 60% of the world’s population.

Report: Smartphones Need Malware Protection

A new report from Unstrung’s paid research service Unstrung Insider finds that smartphones need stronger malware protection as companies and consumers increasingly rely on the devices to manage their businesses and everyday lives. And the report expects mobile carriers will begin offering mobile malware protection services during the next year as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition.

“Mobile malware security vendors are preparing for wide-scale attacks by hackers—attacks that eventually will be as headline grabbing as those that hit email systems,” said Unstring analyst and the report’s author Denise Culver, in a statement. “Their hope is that smartphone manufacturers, carriers, and enterprises—not to mention smartphone users—will not wait until the threats have reached that level before securing their mobile systems.”

Crimeware Spreading Sites Hit Record High

A new quarterly report from the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) states that the number of websites infected with malicious code to steal passwords rose dramatically in June this year, hitting a record high of 9,529, around three times the number of the month before, and 47% greater than the previous record of 6,500 in March.

Many of the attacks come from malicious code being utilized in SQL injection attacks, according to Websense Chief Technology Officer and APWG Phishing Activity Trends Report contributing analyst Dan Hubbard.

At 52% of all attacks, Financial Services was by far the most targeted sector. The report states:

The Tweet Text of Terror

The Tweet Text of Terror

A report by the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, summarized in a presentation (PDF) available from the Federation of American Scientists identifies ways terrorists might exploit commercially available hardware and software to coordinate and carry out their strikes. The report focuses on some obvious ideas: use of satellite GPS positioning and mapping systems along with the use of voice-modification software to obscure identities on calls that might be monitored by military or intelligence organizations.

Report: Teen Faked Jobs Heart Attack Story

Report: Teen Faked Jobs Heart Attack Story

According to media reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking at an 18-year-old male as the originator of an false story earlier this month that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had been rushed to a hospital after suffering a heart attack. According to Bloomberg, the SEC is still investigating motive for the actions, but does not currently believe the teenager was trying to manipulate Apple’s stock price or profit from the false report.

British Broadband Action Urged

According to a new report from the Broadband Stakeholder Group, it will cost around $32 billion to upgrade the UK’s broadband network to handle speeds of 100 Mbps. That’s a lot of dough, especially for those who have to invest in the infrastructure, but the benefits it will bring will at least be equal to the cost.

However, those benefits won’t accrue until at least 80% of the country is up to speed, the report warns.

Currently, some part of the broadband network can handle 24 Mbps, but at present 100 Mbps seems like a pipe dream. However, the report also urges against just jumping in to make it happen.

Digital Britain Report Results

Digital Britain Report Results

A new report from government communications agency Ofcom has throw up some interesting details about digital life in Britain, not least the fact that there are now more rural households with broadband connections than urban households (59% v. 57%) – the first time that’s happened.

Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards commented:

"Our report highlights a closing of the geographical digital divide in the UK. Rural households are today as well connected to broadband as their urban neighbours."

For reasons no one seems to understand, Sunderland, in the northeast of England, is the UK’s most connected city, with 66% of households using broadband connections and 96% using digital TV.

Sensitive Military Items Show up Online

Sensitive Military Items Show up Online

Ebay and Craigslist may have reputations for selling rare and hard-to-find items, but in some cases, Uncle Sam wants those impossible-to-get items to remain that way. In a report released on Thursday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed the results of an investigation that turned up scores of sensitive military items on both sites, from F-14 antennas to body armor.

Although buying and selling the items isn’t explicitly illegal, the report raised questions of where they were coming from and where they would be going. Certain body armor panels, for instance, aren’t sold commercially and were likely stolen from the military, while F-14 fighter jets are only still flown by Iran, indicating that the parts for them may fall into the hands of a hostile government.

Mobile Phones Help Developing Nations

Mobile Phones Help Developing NationsThe annual Information Economy report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released information showing that the wider availability ofmobile phones and Net access is helping to lessen the divide between rich and poor nations, although it remains a large gap.   The BBC has said that thereport notes that those using mobiles in developing countries now comprise 58% of the total number of mobile users globally. In many rural African communities, the use of mobiles by traders ishelping then obtain better prices for their goods, as well as ensure that less goes to waste.   "In Africa, where the increase in terms of the number of mobile phone subscribers andpenetration has been greatest, this technology can improve the economic life of the population as a whole," the report stated.   The vast uptake of mobiles in these countries is helping thepopulation bypass several generations of technological development.   Also important is the greater use of computers and the Net. In 2006, the agency has said, Net availability in developednations was only six times that of developing nations, as compared to 10 times in 2002.

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